As part of his press tour for the upcoming "Champions League Dreams", Rafa Benitez spoke to Dion Fanning at the Irish Independent, who's been one of the more on-point football writers over the past few seasons, particularly throughout the rocky stretch that saw Benitez forced out, Roy Hodgson ushered in along with some of the worst football Liverpool's ever played (but he's great for England because instructions and stuff), and FSG's takeover as Tom Hicks and George Gillett steered the club to the brink of administration.
So yeah, bright times. Anyway, as FSG sought to replace Kenny Dalglish over the summer, there were many who called for Benitez to return, and the Spanish manager was surprised he didn't at least get a call:
"It was strange. We know the club, the players, the Academy and we have even more experience now. The fans were positive about the idea and if you read the book you will understand why. So it was strange not to be approached."
Given FSG's desire to move the club in their own direction, it might not have been as strange as Benitez thinks; with the appointment of Brendan Rodgers and the exodus of many the signings from the past few seasons, there's a clear sense that Liverpool have their sights firmly set on the future rather than the past, regardless of how successful it may or may not have been. Had he not been such a high-profile casualty of the failed regime of FSG's predecessors there might have had been a chance for him to be part of that future, but like it or not, a role for Rafa Benitez never seemed to be in the cards after the way his time at Liverpool ended.